This invention relates to a retractable brace for ambulance attendants and the like.
Ambulance attendants are frequently called on to perform CPR or other paramedical activities in moving ambulances. With CPR in particular, the attendant cannot work effectively and provide effective CPR unless properly braced. There is thus a need for a brace to permit the ambulance attendant to carry out his duties in a safe and effective manner.
There have been attempts in the prior art to provide suitable means for anchoring the ambulance attendant. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,251,100 and 4,563,023, for example.
There remains a need, however, for an effective and efficient brace to lock the attendant into a position where he or she can work effectively on the patient without being bounced around the ambulance as it hits bumps or goes around corners.
The brace should also be retractable and stowable in such a fashion that it is out of the way and occupies a minimum of space when not in use. For many types of ambulances, this means that the brace should be stowable against a side wall of the ambulance.